Bush vetoes stem cell bill again

June 20, 2007

Washington, D.C. - President Bush vetoed a popular bill on Wednesday that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

"If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers, for the first time in our history, to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos," Bush said as he announced the veto at the White House. "I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."

It was the third veto of Bush's administration, and his second veto of embryonic stem cell research legislation, which was written by Democrats.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 was intended to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research.

The Senate has the first chance to override it, since that is where the bill originated, but any such effort is expected to fail.